Church goes wild to raise money for charity

Six charities will benefit from Lakeside Assembly of God’s Mission Possible Wild Game Dinner at 6 p.m. Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Shelby Township.

That is wild, considering not only the number of people it helps but because of the food that guests get to try.

“We’ve got a little bit of everything this year,” said Ryan Runevitch, chef at Country Smoke House in Almont, which is known for its gourmet and specialty meats and is caterer for the event, once again. “The most exotic thing is the python pasties.”

Pasties, as they’re known to Michiganders, or pasty, as they are called elsewhere, is a pastry shell filled with diced potatoes, rutabagas, carrots, onions and ground beef that is folded into a half-crescent. “Ours will be the same, except wrapped around a python.”

If you like chicken, he insists you’ll like python.

And if you’re too chicken to try it – there’s plenty of other great dishes. “We’re also doing a buffalo roast with a black cherry barbecue sauce,” Runevitch said. Plus a venison meatloaf, thanks to Lakeside members who hunt and donated their does and bucks to this year’s dinner. “It’s a great event. These people are awesome,” added Runevitch. “They’re very driven, and every year they raise money for charities. I think this year they are going to try and raise money for a well in Africa.”

“You can’t just preach about God’s work. You have to go out and help,” said Terry Denmark, mission director at Lakeside Assembly of God. “We had been doing the chili cook-off for a few years. Then I read a story about a man who was biking across the United States to raise money for a charitable organization.”

The man’s initiative inspired Denmark to do something himself. “It got me thinking. I’m in a men’s group and missions director, so why not ask the guys about making this (chili cook-off) event bigger and open it up to the community,” Denmark said.

So they did, and they asked members of the men’s group to contribute new ideas and recipes, which is why it became a wild game dinner instead of a chili cook-off.

The first year the eclectic menu included everything from breaded back straps (lean meat from venison backbone) and venison meatballs to pheasant and squirrel barley soup. Denmark’s contribution was grilled salmon.

When it comes to dessert, it’s the ladies at Lakeside who answered the call for help by offering up their favorite recipes in the form of cookies, pies, puddings and other sweets, many of which can be purchased as goodies to go.

Businesses in the community have jumped in to raise the bar even further by providing gift items for the silent and live auctions and door prizes, including a one-week resort vacation.

This year’s event also includes live entertainment featuring the Christian comedy of Justin Fennell.

“The whole atmosphere is festive, but charitable,” Denmark said. “Last year we raised a net of around $14,000, and this year we’re hoping to have the $10,000 for a well in South Africa, plus what we need for the local charities.”

“Be adventurous. Try it. Eat outside the box,” Chef Runevitch said.

Tickets are available for a donation of $40 each, or $280 for a table of 8.

Benefits of wild game dinner?Besides the guests who get to enjoy Chef Ray Runevitch’s python pasties, six charities benefit from Lakeside Assembly of God’s Mission Possible Wild Game Dinner are: Abigayle Ministries in Sterling Heights, a shelter for pregnant women; Crossroad Pregnancy Center in Auburn Hills, for at-risk women and men who are involved in a crisis pregnancy; Macomb County Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers in Center Line, whose volunteers do simple chores or repairs necessary to maintain a home for older and disabled adults; Macomb County Rotating Emergency Team (MCREST) of Roseville, which has been serving the homeless since 1988; Power Company Kids Club in Pontiac, which promotes the emotional, physical, spiritual and social well-being of at-risk children and teens; and the Africa Oasis Project in Springfield, Miss., an aggressive effort to respond to the critical problem of inadequate and unsafe water throughout Africa.